


Don't Cry My Boy

by GachMoBrea



Series: My Father, Barry Allen [5]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Barry is Len's DAD, Comfort, Dreams, Father!Barry, Gen, Heists, Little!Len, OOC, Tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 01:15:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7664638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GachMoBrea/pseuds/GachMoBrea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The idea goes like this: Len is dreaming (even though he doesn't know it), he's in his world normal age and size and he's doing a heist with Mick when Barry shows up. When Len tries to come up with a witty pun all he can say is "Daddy". Then the bank or museum looks like it's getting bigger, but Len is actually shrinking and as Barry starts to pick him up with a worried voice he says, "What's the matter kiddo?" And as the place gets dark that's when Len wakes up. To his childish room and in his childish clothes, he doesn't notice that he starts to cry even though he just thinks he's frustrated. And along comes Barry to help." [JoeFandome]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Cry My Boy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JoeFandome](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoeFandome/gifts).



"I can't believe people put their valuables on display like this!" Mick laughs, smashing another glass case. Len and his partner were in a museum, helping themselves to the rare collection of sparkling jewelry that was being displayed there.  
Len smiles at the man's enthusiasm. This heist was insultingly easy. The bank had no alarms, barely any security, and Mick got to smash things which means that Len would be able to take the bigger cut without his partner knowing, or even caring.  
He picks up an especially large blue diamond then hears the familiar 'whoosh' of disturbed air from an even more familiar speedster.  
As Mick continues his rampage through the building, Len turns to The Flash.  
Tilting his head to the side, a confident smirk spreading across his face, Len opens his mouth to offer the hero an especially witty pun.  
"Daddy."  
Len frowns, startled at his own voice. He tries again, "Daddy."  
He drops the diamond, the heist an unimportant anecdote all of the sudden.  
"Daddy." He growls, then shouts out, "DADDY!"  
It's not working. Why? Why can't he say anything other than, "Daddy?"  
He hits the display where the diamond was and feels his fist slide off the surface. He looks over, completely at a loss for words as he watches his fist slide down the metal stand. Why is it getting bigger?  
Len rips his goggles off his face and looks around the room as it gets bigger and bigger.  
His goggles feel strange in his hand, and when he looks at them he realizes something: The museum isn't getting BIGGER. Len is getting SMALLER.  
The goggles slip from his hand as he stares at the too-big world around him.  
Where did Mick go?  
Then there are arms wrapping around him, picking him up, and Len is turned to face a concerned looking Barry. The speedster is no longer dressed as his hero counterpart.  
"What's the matter kiddo?" the hero asks worriedly.  
The world spins as Len's plummeted into darkness.

Len startles awake from his dream to his new nightmare.  
It's dark, the moon acts like a lantern to illuminate the room enough for Len to see.  
He's back in the childish room. In childish space pajamas. He pulls his small hands in front of his face as the world goes a little hazy.  
He had been back. He was a grown-up pulling heists with Mick.  
Then it was gone.  
Because it wasn't real.

Why did the world hate him so much?  
Why couldn't he just wake up in HIS reality? In HIS body?  
Where he belonged!

The door to the bedroom opens and Barry's silhouette stands in the doorway with the same worried look from the dream on his face.  
"What's the matter, Len?" Barry asks, walking over to sit on the edge of Len's bed. The hero reaches forwards to wipe at Len's face and it's then that he realizes that he had been crying.  
Len hadn't cried in years. He hated this universe.  
"Did you have a bad dream?" his 'father' asks, still worried as he places a comforting hand on Len's knee. "You can tell your dad anything."  
'I'm your archenemy from another universe and I'm not five. I'm more like thirty-five and I'm only here because I allowed myself to do something heroic.'  
Len rubs furiously at the tears still sliding down his face. There's no way he can tell Barry anything like that. He'll be thrown into a mental hospital or maybe worse.  
"There's just been a lot of change," he offers his 'father' instead. "I guess it all just came crashing to me at once."  
"I see," Barry moves so that he's sitting right next to Len, wrapping one arm around Len's shoulders in a side hug. "Is there anything I can do to make things better?"  
'Get me back home where I belong.' Len shakes his head, "No. I can handle it."  
"You don't have to 'handle it' alone, though," the speedster kisses the top of Len's head. "That's why I'm here. Daddy's are supposed to help their sons when they have problems."  
Len shivers at a memory of Lewis 'helping' with problems.  
"Woah," Barry pulls back to look down at Len with a concerned frown. "You feeling sick again?"  
The hero puts the back of his hand to Len's head, "You don't feel feverish."  
"Chill, Barry-aly got a chill," Len recovers from almost saying his 'father's' first name. "Is my window open?"  
Barry moves from the bed to check. He parts the curtains and closes the window before turning a 'thumbs up' to his son.  
Len can't help but smile at the childish behavior from the adult.  
"I know it can be hard sometimes," his 'father' says quietly as he makes his way back to Len's side. "But life is full of change. We've got to make the best of it."  
'Life shouldn't be full of this much change.' Len sighs, "I think I'm ready to go back to sleep now."  
"Good-night, Len," Barry kisses him on the side of his head before getting off the bed. "I'll see you in the morning."  
Len slides back under the covers as the speedster goes to the door. Barry waves slightly, then closes it with barely a noise.

Len stares at the glowing, plastic stars on his ceiling.  
He actually felt better. Of all the universes he could have been dropped in, he could think of worse places to be. Still...  
Len turns in the bed as he closes his eyes.  
This wasn't his universe.  
And he still has no intention of staying here.

\---

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Guess what? I still own nothing! Surprised? I'm not. "The Flash" (& its characters) belong to the CW & whoever else has their hand in the franchise's proverbial pie...


End file.
